WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Shingles sends nearly 1 million
Americans to their doctors every year seeking relief from the
painful symptoms the virus causes, according to U.S. government
statistics released on Wednesday.

The average cost for treating shingles is $525 per person
or $566 million each year in 2005 dollars, the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality reported.

Shingles is caused by varicella-zoster virus, which also
causes chicken pox. It is a herpes virus that can linger in the
body for decades, becoming reactivated when the immune system
is suppressed.

Symptoms include burning or shooting pain, tingling or
itching and sometimes, but not always, a characteristic rash or
blisters.

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Older people can become newly infected with the virus.
People age 65 and older are seven times more likely to get
shingles than younger people, with about 1.5 percent of the
elderly reporting the condition, the agency said.

Agency researchers Anita Soni and Steven Hill used several
national surveys to compile their report. They found that 1.1
million people came down with shingles every year and that
900,000 seek treatment for it.

A vaccine can prevent shingles, and treatments include
antiviral and pain medications.